Leonard Frederick Kempster was born in Berkhamsted in March 1898, the first child of William Thomas Kempster and Elizabeth Wells who had five children together. Leonard’s younger siblings were: Avis Amelia, Edith Grace, George Henry and Ronald William who sadly died shortly after he was born. When Leonard was three years old, his family lived on Castle Street in Berkhamsted and his father William worked as a "Butcher’s Assistant". By the time of the 1911 census, they had moved to Hemel Hempstead and lived at 88 Cotterells and by this time, Leonard’s father was a "Sub-Superintendent" with the Pearl Life Assurance Company. Leonard, who had just left school aged thirteen, was working as a "Grocer’s Assistant Porter".

On the outbreak of war, Leonard was still too young to enlist. However, in March 1916 when he reached his eighteenth birthday, he went to Ampthill where he attested and enlisted with the Bedfordshire Regiment. He was then sent to Felixstowe to undergo basic training and was subsequently sent overseas after his nineteenth birthday in 1917. He was posted to the 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment and it appears he joined his unit during May 1917, as one of the 292 drafts who arrived during that month.

Leonard spent some time in the trenches over the next few months, but it was the end of October before he experienced his first serious action. On the 30th of that month he fought in the muddy horror that was the Second Battle of Passchendaele. The Battalion War Diaries recorded details of the attack as follows: “30 Oct. Battn. attacked at 5.50am 7RF on left, Artists Rifles on right, Canadian Corps on right of Artists. Canadians reached objectives but our attack was held up by very heavy and boggy ground surrounding the PADDEBEEK and a total advance of about 150-200 yards only was made…” Casualties were heavy with 264 officers and men, killed, wounded or missing, around a quarter of the Battalion fighting strength. Leonard, however, survived the carnage.

In early 1918, the 4th Bedfordshires moved to Beaulencourt in France, just south of Bapaume and prepared to go into action in the next major allied offensive. In March, Leonard fought in the Battle of St Quentin followed immediately by the Battle of Bapaume. Both these battles were defensive from an allied point of view, as the Germans launched a huge attack on allied positions which resulted in tenacious rear guard actions. Leonard, with the 4th Bedfordshires, resisted persistent enemy attacks of heavy shelling and machine gun fire, a fact noted in the Hemel Gazette two weeks later.

Over a period of eight days starting on the 21st March, the 4th Bedfordshires were forced to constantly withdraw to avoid being overwhelmed by determined German assaults. The cost of these actions for the Battalion were once more significant and the War Diary recorded the outcome following relief: “28 Mar 1918 - Forceville Batt. was relieved at 3.30 a.m. and marched to SENLIS, billeted there until 11 a.m. and then marched to MAILLY-MAILLET wood, then on to billets in FORCEVILLE. Casualties from 20th inst. killed 21, wounded 88, 124 missing.” Leonard was wounded at some point during the action and had been taken out of the line and transferred to 20th General Hospital, Camiers at Etaples for treatment. Sadly, his wounds proved too serious and he soon succumbed.

Leonard died on Friday, 29th March 1918.

Leonard is Remembered with Honour in Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France, where he is interred in Grave XXXIII. A. 23A. The inscription on his headstone, requested by his father William, reads: “A LOVED ONE FALLEN ASLEEP”

He was only 20 years old when he died.

Leonard was eligible for the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.